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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27141727">Thoughts of Spring</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katlyn1948/pseuds/Katlyn1948'>Katlyn1948</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>After The Long Night [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Game of Thrones (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Feelings, Other, Sisters, a bit of angst, a bit of in the feels, a bit of smut, confused</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:14:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,646</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27141727</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katlyn1948/pseuds/Katlyn1948</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Arya avoids her family and has a revelation about the future</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Arya Stark &amp; Sansa Stark, Arya Stark/Gendry Waters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>After The Long Night [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1981213</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Thoughts of Spring</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Oof, I added another part to what I am now calling "After The Long Night" </p><p>I honestly don't know where I pulled this from and I just can't seem to stop writing it. I didn't want to do a multichapter fic, so I opted to sort of do it this way. That way I can kinda jump around and have it make sense. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Preparing the funeral pyres had been a busying distraction for Arya. After her unpleasant conversation with her siblings, she had returned to her chambers. And rather than crawl back into her bed, warm under the weight of her furs and Gendry’s body heat, she readied herself for the day.</p><p>There were things to be done and she couldn’t mope about while hundreds of bodies needed to be burned. To her surprise, when she reaches the battlements, most of the bodies had been retrieved and nearly half of the pyres had been built. The remaining north men had done their due diligence and worked through the night. There was exhaustion among the faces she passed, and when she reached a surly man with brown hair and beard that reached to his chest, she had to steady him before he keeled over.</p><p>“Why don’t you go and rest?” She said and the man nodded, dragging his tried body to the keep.</p><p>She took over his work, lugging logs twice her size up the hills of the battlements and placing them in their proper spots. The maester would have her hide if he knew she was doing strenuous work. Her stiches in her leg were minimal, but one wrong move and she could pop the seam, bleeding all over her clean breeches. It something she adamant to avoid.</p><p>For most of the day, she remained in the battlements, and with the help of the other north men the pyres were finished by midday.</p><p>The sun had breached the clouds, and for the first time since she stepped foot into Winterfell, there was a calming warmth that came from it. With the Night King dead, winter had ceased, and the dawn of spring was on the horizon.</p><p> But there was little time to enjoy the coming whether. Preparations had to be made to ride south; not that day, nor even the next, but soon they would gather in the war room and discuss plans to embark on another dangerous quest.</p><p>It was Arya could do to not dwell on the that fact. More people would die, that was inevitable, perhaps even she might see her demise. She had to come to terms that she may be meeting the God of Death sooner than she would like. Which made her time in Winterfell all that more important.</p><p>She hated squabbling with her siblings, and even more so, she hated that she was inadvertently avoiding Gendry. She tried not to give merit to what her siblings had said, but she could not deny there were truth behind their words. People would talk; in fact, the rumors had already begun to swirl. As she was leaving her chambers she noticed a few servant girls giggling about at her disheveled appearance. There were weary glances from the remain high lords of the north and even a few soldiers had looked at her cross eyed.</p><p>It hadn’t bothered, not really, but the thought of people taking about her indiscretions created an itch she hadn’t had before. Arya knew Gendry would feel uncomfortable with the stares and talk, not to mention his friendship with Jon had now taken a sharp turn for the worst. He would want to try to amend the situation and do something stupid, like propose.</p><p>But would he be so bold?</p><p>Arya certainly hoped not. She loved him, there was no denying that, but she was not the type of woman for marriage. She would not please him when the time came. She wouldn’t be able to provide to him what a wife should provide for her husband. She would not be able to grant him children. As they grow old, all she would see on his face would be the resentment he held for her.</p><p>No. She would not let that happen.</p><p>Gendry was her best friend before he was her lover and she would fight to the death to make sure that never changed.</p><p>With the sun high in the sky and a light sweat forming atop her brow, Arya thought it best to return back to the keep. Her sister was, no doubt, looking for her and Jon…well he could be avoiding her as she was him. Gendry, if he was up, would be in the forge assessing the damage the dead had brought to his abode.</p><p>If she were careful, she could avoid them all together and sneak off to her chambers. She needed a good change before the lighting of the pyres that were bound to happen within the next few hours. If she stayed within the shadows no one would be able to see her and she could remain unseen, even by those with uncanny sight.</p><p>But of course she would only be so lucky.</p><p>As she reached the gates of Winterfell, her sister was there ready to greet her. There was look of disdain upon her sister’s brow and Arya could only ready herself for the tongue lashing she was about to receive.</p><p>“What are you doing?”</p><p>Arya sighed, “Helping with the pyres. The bodies are ready to be burned. Theon is-”</p><p>“I know where he will be.” Sansa swiftly cut her off. “I meant to ask why you’re helping with they pyres. You shouldn’t be exerting yourself.”</p><p>“I needed to think.”</p><p>“And you thought it best by lugging logs up a hill?” Sansa shook her head. “What were you thinking?”</p><p>Arya could feel the anger bubble within. She knew her sister was hurting but taking it out on her was the best way to go by it. Sansa was looking for any excuse to berate her. “Perhaps I was thinking that I needed to get away for a bit. My siblings cornered me like I was some trapped animal and told me I was damaged goods.”</p><p>“We never said-”</p><p>“You didn’t have to.” Arya rubbed her temples, the lingering headache her wound had given hadn’t truly subsided and she could feel the throbbing beneath her skull. “I’m not a lady, Sansa. I’ve never been.”</p><p>“That’s the thing, Arya, you are. Whether you like it or not, you were born a lady. Nothing you can say or do will change that fact. Perhaps Jon and I were bit harsh, but we are just trying to look out for your wellbeing.” Sansa placed a soft hand on Arya’s shoulder, squeezing it lightly before trotting off to where bodies were now being placed on the pyres.</p><p>Arya knew the intentions behind her siblings declarations, but their worry was misplaced. She didn’t need anyone looking out for her wellbeing, not when she had been looking out for herself for years.</p><p>Stomping past the training grounds, she made her way to the forge. It hadn’t been badly damaged, not like she thought it would be, and found that Gendry was stoking the fires, placing a piece of steel within it’s flames. It seems his task was to start forging new weapons for the battle to come. He had to start early, if he were to make the necessary number of swords and daggers for the remaining soldiers.</p><p>There were usually a few good men around him working, but when the dead came they all perished, even his budding apprentice. Her bother was sure to find him more, but for now it was just him and his steel.</p><p>Arya barged her way into the forge, catching Gendry off guard and nearly knocking him to the ground when she came to bring her lips to his. There was hardly any time for him to set the hammer he had in his hand down before she dragged him to the cot he had in the back of the forge, away from prying eyes. Before she had invited him into her bed, he would sleep in the back with nothing but a few furs and fires of the forge to keep him warm.</p><p>She only knew of this place because, during those lonely nights before the dead arrived, she would sneak out of her chambers and watch as Gendry slept. His body would violently shiver, and at times, she would bring an extra fur to place over his body.</p><p>The cot was too small for it to house both of their forms, but Arya would make do. She pushed him onto the cot, straddling his waist before pressing her lips back to his. She made quick work of the ties at his breeches, loosening them to allow for his growing member to emerge from their prison.</p><p>It was times like these that she had wished she worn dresses, because ridding herself of her breeches proved a hassle. Whereas Gendry’s could only be loosened past his apex, Arya had to rid herself of hers completely.</p><p>She sighed in contempt as she came to straddle him once more, their bodies joining as one.</p><p>This coupling was quick and chaste, and Arya knew she would have little time to chase her release. Hurriedly, she moved her hips, taking in as much of him as she could. Their lips never faltered and as she felt the rising pressure within her core, Gendry swallowed her moan, taking in her gasp with his own breath. His release came soon thereafter, and she allowed him to bury his head into the crook her neck, biting that sweet spot between her lobe and her shoulder.</p><p>They remained that way for several minutes before Arya stood from his lap. Her shaky legs struggle to reach the corner where her breeches lay, and even more so as she pulled them up. She took her place in front of Gendry as he still remained seated on the cot and gave him a quick peck before hurrying out of the forge.   </p><p>The pyres were near filled with the deceased, and soon they would light them letting those who perished join the gods in peace.</p>
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